Windows Picture & Fax Viewer Won't Open Desktop Images

This is actually an old problem that I remember trying to research, but got nowhere with. I'm not sure what the cause is, and I know it wasn't always this way, which makes me think it's an after-effect of some change of permissions or something else I did.

Has anyone else experienced this? What would the main culprit be for it?

What's the error message that you get (assuming you get one)?

None. Like I said, it just won't open them. It seems like something is actively interfering with it.

It's only with images dropped on the desktop? Images in folders open fine?

Yup.

I've heard of Trojans[=http//forums.techguy.org/windows-nt-2000-xp/553902-strange-windows-picture-fax-viewer.html]Trojans doing something like this.

If you have Process Explorer from SysInternals handy, try running it then trying again. See if you can tell if Windows is attempting to open anything. The Picture & Fax Viewer process is not actually an .exe,url==http://=http:///url it's launched from a DLL, like so

rundll32.exe C\WINDOWS\System32\shimgvw.dll,ImageView_Fullscreen <image_path>

Process Monitor (the successor to the individual FileMon & RegMon tools from SysInternals) might also help by showing the files accessed, but it's often information overload unless you aggressively filter the results, which can be hard to do if you don't really know what you're looking for.

[quotea76aa042bc="dmorris68"]I've heard of Trojans[=http//forums.techguy.org/windows-nt-2000-xp/553902-strange-windows-picture-fax-viewer.html]Trojans doing something like this.[/quotea76aa042bc]

There are ways in which I can force the viewer to appear when opening a desktop image, and when it does, it will also say "No preview available", but "browser.exe" doesn't come into play. That, and the reasons below, makes me doubt the malware cause in my case. That had been the first thing I saw claims of, and it prompted me to upgrade my AV, Ad-Aware and get Rootkit Revealer. None of that helped.

In general though, when double-clicking on a desktop image directly, the viewer will appear for a fraction of a second and immediately close. That made me think there's was some issue with permissions or something like that.

[quotea76aa042bc="dmorris68"]If you have Process Explorer from SysInternals handy, try running it then trying again. See if you can tell if Windows is attempting to open anything. The Picture & Fax Viewer process is not actually an .exe,url==http://=http:///url it's launched from a DLL, like so

rundll32.exe C\WINDOWS\System32\shimgvw.dll,ImageView_Fullscreen <image_path>

Process Monitor (the successor to the individual FileMon & RegMon tools from SysInternals) might also help by showing the files accessed, but it's often information overload unless you aggressively filter the results, which can be hard to do if you don't really know what you're looking for.[/quotea76aa042bc]

I hadn't had it installed before, but did now. I used that command line string to open an image, and again, it allows the viewer to stay open with "No preview available". The thing is that I don't know the color coding yet, and a printer monitor comes and goes so fast as well, so I don't know if I'd notice any app open and close that quickly. What should I be looking for?

Here's a quick snagit http//img="514.imageshack.us" alt=""/img514/5504/proexpse4.gif

I don't see anything at issue there, but maybe there wouldn't be. http//forum.freeipodguide.com/smilies_mod/upload/8da47a6a788bfa3cafaca999fecc915f.gif[" alt=""/imga76aa042bc]

Holy crap you have a lot of processes running!

But I don't see anything unusual that jumps out at me.

Does it work when you navigate to the Desktop folder via Explorer, i.e. C\Documents & Settings\<userid>\Desktop and launch the image from there? If it does the same thing, try watching that Explorer instance in ProcessExplorer, and see what it opens. You might also try the File Monitor in Process Monitor and filter it on the Explorer instance, it will log all access. Then compare that with a working image in another folder.

I'm just grasping at this point, because I've not heard of this problem before.

[quotea9f7ce5d83="dmorris68"]Holy crap you have a lot of processes running![/quotea9f7ce5d83]

Really? Most of them are parts of fewer programs. I really thught you'd have more. )

[quotea9f7ce5d83="dmorris68"]But I don't see anything unusual that jumps out at me.

Does it work when you navigate to the Desktop folder via Explorer, i.e. C\Documents & Settings\<userid>\Desktop and launch the image from there? If it does the same thing, try watching that Explorer instance in ProcessExplorer, and see what it opens. You might also try the File Monitor in Process Monitor and filter it on the Explorer instance, it will log all access. Then compare that with a working image in another folder.

I'm just grasping at this point, because I've not heard of this problem before.[/quotea9f7ce5d83]

Will do.

[quote9016489677="Tholek"][quote9016489677="dmorris68"]Holy crap you have a lot of processes running![/quote9016489677]

Really? Most of them are parts of fewer programs. I really thught you'd have more. )[/quote9016489677]
Not even close! Here's my current process list

http//morrisonline.us/pics/procexp.png[" alt=""/img9016489677]

[quote56dc87e47a="dmorris68"][quote56dc87e47a="Tholek"][quote56dc87e47a="dmorris68"]Holy crap you have a lot of processes running![/quote56dc87e47a]

Really? Most of them are parts of fewer programs. I really thught you'd have more. )[/quote56dc87e47a]
Not even close! Here's my current process list

http//morrisonline.us/pics/procexp.png[" alt=""/img56dc87e47a][/quote56dc87e47a]

Hmm, I need to prune. Thank heavens I have 2GB of RAM in the meantime. ;)

Yes, even from the main desktop folder it happens. CPU usage just goes up in ProcExp.

HOWEVER... that was when using Explorer to navigate to the desktop. I then went to Documents and Settings and looked at the Administrator Desktop folder. There was nothing there, so I copied the same image off the main desktop to it, and it opened in that folder, but not from the desktop.

Then, I did the same for the All Users and Default User accounts and the image was able to be opened from its desktop folders. Amusingly, the image appeared a second time on the main desktop every time, although it won't open from there either.

Finally I tried my personal (admin privledged) account and it WON'T open from its desktop folder, despite images opening from folders within it, or from folders on the main desktop.

This all seems rather telling, but I don't know of what. (

(Bumped this post down, since I think you may have missed it ;) )

Oh, oracle of technology, have you any further sage advice?

Install Linux?

The oracle might, but I got nothing. Sorry.

roll

Thanks anyhow. ;)